John Paul relics abound: Bloodied shirt, unwashed fork…

ROME—Inside a chapel on the edge of Rome, a nun uses a key to open a wooden wall panel, revealing a hidden niche. Behind glass hangs a relic of holy suffering: the bullet-pocked, bloodstained undershirt John Paul II was wearing when a gunman shot him in the stomach in St. Peter’s Square.

The short-sleeved garment bears the initials “JP,” sewn in red cotton thread on the label by nuns who did his laundry.

Jagged rips run down from the neck and sides, made when emergency room staff tore open John Paul’s shirt as they raced to save his life.

It’s one of the most remarkable of the relics of John Paul, who will be declared a saint on Sunday in the very same square where a Turkish would-be assassin shot him on May 13, 1981.

Relics of John Paul have enjoyed a boom ever since the beloved Pope was beatified in 2011.

The phenomenon has been fueled by John Paul’s longtime Polish confidant and secretary, Stanislaw Dziwisz, who doles them out to churches that request them.

The famous undergarment was discovered by the head nurse in the operating room at Rome’s Gemelli Polyclinic as she was cleaning the floor.

Nurse Anna Stanghellini, who lived out her last years at the church’s convent, donated the shirt to the nuns there, bequeathing a vivid testimony to John Paul’s physical suffering.

John Paul was the world’s first globe-trotting Pope, and he left things associated with him scattered around the world.

Relics in Manila

The Manila area restaurant where John Paul dined during his 1995 pilgrimage to the Philippines shows off the spoon, fork, water goblet, knives and table napkin—all still unwashed after his meal of grilled fish and fried shrimp.

Elsewhere in the predominantly Catholic Asian nation, shopping malls this month are showing strands of his silvery-white hair and a piece of bedsheet from his deathbed.

Irish Julia Feniquito, a 24-year-old nurse in  Quezon City, was still wearing her blue scrubs and looking to buy a dress when she passed by a traveling exhibit of John Paul relics in one shopping mall.

She kneeled to pray for several minutes in front of a makeshift altar and wrote her reflections on a sheet of paper, which she slipped into a box

under a papal skull cap.

“His aura, when you first see him, you can tell that he is very holy,” Feniquito said.

Papal blood

“John Paul II probably has stuff all over the place,” considering he was the third-longest serving Pontiff, said the Rev. Raymond Kupke, a professor at Seton Hall University in New Jersey. “If you think of all the places he has been to, the amount of relics is enormous.”

A tiny church in Naples packed its pews for nine days earlier this year when it displayed a gold-covered reliquary containing a drop of papal blood drawn for analysis from John Paul on his last day on Earth.

For the faithful, it’s a profoundly moving testament to the Pope’s courage in the face of death and suffering.

“This was the last blood taken from the Holy Father, his last day of life,” said the Rev. Jonas Gianneo, pastor of Santa Maria Francesca delle Cinque Piaghe church.

The pastor said the drop came from a vial of blood saved by Dziwisz, now cardinal of Krakow.



Selling relics sacrilegious 


Amid the proliferation of John Paul relics, Vatican experts say, it’s important to make key distinctions: Relics are categorized by the Vatican as “first-class” (those that are part of the saint’s body, such as bones or blood), “second-class” (items owned or used by a saint) and “third-class” (mostly things that were touched by the saint).

Selling relics is sacrilegious—but nothing stops the faithful from making a “donation” to whoever provided the relic, or purchasing the often ornate container holding the relic itself. AP

source: newsinfo.inquirer.net

Blessed John Paul II and Blessed John XXIII may be canonized Dec. 8

After Pope Francis approved the canonization of Blessed John Paul II and Blessed John XXIII, a buzz emerged from Rome that the canonization date might take place on Dec. 8, feast of the Immaculate Conception.  If this is true, how blessed we are that the canonization of the two popes will fall on a very important feast of the Mother of God.

Since the news came out, I have been praying to Blessed John Paul to intercede for the healing of June Keithley, whom I saw in Rome on May 1, 2011, during the beatification ceremonies. She is very devoted to Blessed John Paul II and to Mama Mary, of course, about whom she wrote about under her title, Our Lady Mediatrix of All Grace, in her book on the Lipa apparitions.

Very popular

The canonization will be a historic  day for 1.2 billion Catholics around the world. The two very popular popes in contemporary times contributed hugely to Church and global history.

Pope John Paul II was the most traveled pope in history. He also beatified and canonized the most number of saints and martyrs. The ebullient, down-to-earth Pope John XXIII launched the Second Vatican Council  to introduce reforms in the Catholic Church.

Adam’s Express Travel sent large delegations to the canonizations of Josemaria Escriva on Oct. 6, 2002, and Sister Faustina in 2011, and the beatification of Mother Teresa and Blessed Pope John Paul II in 2011.  Although there is no official canonization date yet, Adams Travel encourages pilgrims to reserve ahead because millions are expected to attend the canonization. Call Adam’s at 5223876 or 5211651 or text Anna Ayo at 0917-5514468.

Legion of Mary is 73


The Legion of Mary will celebrate its 73rd anniversary in the Philippines with a Thanksgiving Mass at the Senatus of the Northern Philippines headquarters at Dangay Street, QC, on July 21, 11 a.m., with Msgr. Celso Ditan, spiritual director, as Mass presider.

In addition, the Senatus will sponsor the first Friday Mass and vigil, with Sangguniang Layko ng Pilipinas, on Aug. 2 at the CBCP Chapel in Intramuros, Manila. Vigil will be at 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Mass at CBCP Chapel will be at 12 noon.

The Legion of Mary was founded by Servant of God Frank Duff on Sept. 7, 1921, in Dublin, Ireland. It is a lay apostolic organization serving the Church under ecclesiastical guidance.

Frank Duff passed away on Nov. 7, 1980, and the cause of his canonization was introduced by Dublin Archbishop Desmond Connell  in 1996.

An alleged miracle interceded by Frank Duff on the healing of John David Arcega has been submitted to the Dublin church. It will be one of the miracles to be submitted to Rome. John David is now back in school after he recovered from his illness.

Those who want estampitas can write to me c/o Phil. Daily Inquirer at Chino Roces Ave., Makati City. Please enclose a self-addressed stamped envelope for easier mailing.

St. Mary Magdalene fiesta


Thanks to Mila Que, I became devoted to St. Mary Magdalene, patroness of Kawit, Cavite, whose feast day falls on July 22.

I met Jovita Peregrina  who survived cancer through the intercession of  the saint.

Now, Aling Jovita is taking care of the image especially during the novena and fiesta Masses.

Imus Bishop Reynaldo Evangelista will officiate the concelebrated Mass  tomorrow, 9 a.m.  Masses in the afternoon are at 5 p.m. and 6 p.m.  Fr. Romeo Ner is the parish priest.

In the parish of St. Mary Magdalene in Amadeo, Cavite, Fr. Oliver Genuino, parish priest, will lead the celebration of the fiesta tomorrow.

Bishop Evangelista will say Mass at 4 p.m.

I visited this church before Holy Week this year and was impressed by the beautiful image of the saint enthroned on the left side of the altar.

Father Genuino expressed the opinion that Mary Magdalene was not the adulterous woman about to be stoned for her sin, whom Jesus forgave. Neither was she the prostitute who washed Jesus’ feet with her tears and rubbed them with expensive oil in the house of Simon, the Pharisee.

Feast of St. Anne

I became devoted to St. Anne, the mother of Mary, way back in 1981. I had achalasia and I remember placing her prayer near my bed in PGH where I was confined at the time.

I still pray to her, especially when I visit Sta. Ana Church during the feast of Our Lady of the Abandoned. On July 26, Masses in her honor will be said there at 5:30 and 6:30 a.m., and 6:30 p.m.

Try to seek her intercession; especially pray to her and St. Joachim every Tuesday before 9 a.m. and say “St. Anne and St. Joachim, please grant me a pleasant surprise today.”

This prayer was taught to me by the late Albert Seeland, manager of Tempura Misono in the old Hyatt Hotel. Please pray for the repose of Albert Seeland’s soul on Aug. 13, his birth anniversary.

St. Martha fiesta


We who hear Mass at Harrison Plaza Chapel are blessed to have the image of St. Martha there.  The chapel is named after her.  Every Tuesday,  devotees come to pray to her and  click the light in front of her.

The feast of St. Martha falls on July 29. It is also celebrated in Pateros, Rizal.   Her miraculous image is enshrined there in San Roque Church.  Fr. Roy Rosales is the parish priest.

St. James the Apostle feast


The feast of St. James the Apostle  (called Santiago de Compostela in Spain) falls on July 25, Thursday. Fr. Manny Domingo, SDB, will celebrate Holy Mass at 6 p.m. in Don Bosco Chapel on Pasay Road, Makati. St. James is also the patron saint of Dapitan, Zamboanga del Norte, and Bolinao, Pangasinan.

source: lifestyle.inquirer.net